Sykes, Baz ready for final pre-season push

Official Kawasaki WSBK riders Tom Sykes and Loris Baz will conclude their winter preparations with two outings at Australia's Phillip Island circuit, followed by the February 24 season opener.

Pleased with the outcome of previous track outings in Spain, the Australian tests will see Kawasaki shift emphasis from general preparations to race performance.

The unofficial Phillip Island test is from February 14-15, with the official championship test on the 18th and 19th.

“Honestly, I am happy and quite relaxed at the moment,” declared 2012 title runner-up Sykes. “I am looking forward to going to Australia; hopefully I will get a little bit of warmth through my bones.

“As always, I am looking forward to going racing. We have done some good winter testing and certainly found some improvements on the bike during that time. The bike also improved a lot after the start of the 2012 season, so knowing that I am very happy to start the 2013 season in Australia.”

For young Frenchman Baz, also a 2012 race winner and now preparing for his first full season with Team Green, it will be a new circuit to learn.

“The first Phillip Island test will be useful for me because I have never been there before,” he said. “I am sure I am going to love the track because everybody loves it and I have seen some great races there on TV.

“I am sure this is going to be a useful test for me to learn the track and to keep working with the bike to see if we can make another little step forward that will be good for the race.”